Watch-protector.



PATENTED OCT, 17, 1905.

J. MIDDLBBROOK.

WATCH PROTECTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 14, 1905 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A TTOHNEVS No. 802,225 PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905. J. MIDDLEBROOK.

WATCH PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1905.

ZSHBETS SHEET 2.

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STATES PATENT U11" JOHN MIDDLEBROOK, OF BARRE, VERMONT.

WATCH-PROTEGTOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1'7, 1905.

To aZZ whom, it Wm/y concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN MrDpLnBRooK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Barre, in the county of l/Vashington and State of Vermont, have invented a new and 1mprovcd latch-Protector, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices designed to be placed in a persons pocket to prevent the accidental or fraudulent removal of a watch, the object being to provide a watch-protector of simple and novel construction that may be detaehably secured in a pocket and that will be inexpensive.

1 will describe a watch-protector embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a watclrprotector embodying my inven tion, showing the same in position. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the guard in locking position. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the guard in released position. Fig. 4 is adetail illustrating the guard detached from its operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are detail views showing the operating mechanism in different positions. Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10 10 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11 11 of Fig. 6.

The device comprises a casing consisting of two sections 15 16, which are removably connected together, so that the parts may be detached for cleaning when necessary. As clearly shown in Fig. 11, the ends of the sections 15 16 have interlocking members 17. The lower portions of the members are spaced apart to form a slot or opening 18, through which dust and dirt may pass, thus preventing injury to a watch that may be placed in the easing. The sections 15 and 16 may be made of any suitable metal, preferably aluminium, and the casing is lined with chamois 18 or other suitable material.

Arranged within the casing at one side is a guard 19, which is in the form of a segment or curved plate designed to engage with the periphery of a watch, the upper portion of the guard passing slightly inward of the vertical center, so that the watch will be crowded against the opposite side of the casing. This guard may have a lining 20 of soft material. To give the guard sufl'icient strength, its convexed side is provided with a rib 21, and at one side of this rib is an extension 22, through which a pivot 23 passes, the said pivot engaging in a guide 24, attached to a metal plate 25, secured to one of the casing members by means of rivets. At the upper end of the plate 22 a guide 26 is provided, and through the guides 24 and 26 an operating-rod 27 is movable. Pivoted to the lower end of the plate is a curved locking-latch 28, the upper end of which is designed to engage with the under side of a lug 29, projected from the extension 22, the said lug being beveled on its upper side, so that it may freely pass upward when a watch is inserted, as will be hereinafter described. The lower end of the rod 27 is provided with a linger 30 for engaging against the outer side of the latch 28, and it is also provided above the linger 30 with a linger 31 for engaging against the under side of said latch. A coiled spring 32 surrounds the rod 27, engaging at its lower end with the guide 24, and its upper end is attached to said rod, said spring being designed to move the rod upward, and it is limited in its upward movement by means of the curved latch and the outer finger, carried by the rod 27. The upper end of the rod 27 extends slightly above the casing, so that it may be readily engaged by a persons thumb or linger to force it downward.

In some instances such, for instance, when a person is in a crowd and there is a possibility of pickpocketsit may be necessary to lock the rod 27 from downward movement. For this purpose I provide a pawl 33, which is mounted on a stud 3 L, movable longitudinally through a perforation in the upper end of the rod 27. The stud 3d at its inner end is provided with a head, and engaging with this head is a spring 35, the said spring being attached at its lower end to the rod 27, and the inner side of the pawl 33 is provided with a lug 36 for engaging in a vertical slot 37 or in a transverse slot 38, formed in said rod. When the pawl 33 is turned in the position indicated in Fig. 2, the lug thereon will engage in the transverse slot and will be held yieldingly therein by means of the spring.

When the pawl is turned downward, as indimay readily move the pawl to releasing position.

In the operation when the watch is locked in position the guard 19 will be in the position indicated in Fig. 2, with the lug 29, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, resting on the upper end of the locking-latch 28, and, as before stated, the upper end of the guard will extend inward toward the vertical center of the watch. When it is desired to remove the watch from the case, the rod 27 is to be moved downward, so that the finger 31 will force the latch 28 downward, as indicated in Fig. 8. Then as the watch is withdrawn the guard will swing to the position indicated in Fig. 3, leaving the parts in the position indicated in Fig. 9. Upon placing the watch in the casing it will engage with the lower end of the guard and swing it to its normal position, the lug 29 passing upward between the latch 28 and the plate 25 to again engage with the upper end of said latch.

As a means for securing the casing in a pocket I provide the inner side of its inner section near the top with pins tO, which pass through guides 41, and these pins are provided with finger-knobs 42, between which and the inner guides 41 are coiled springs 43, designed to hold the pins in engagement with the lining or fabric of the pocket, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 11. On the front of the casing is a downwardly-turned pin 44 for engaging in the pocket-lining or other cloth part to prevent the watch from slipping into the pocket at the outer side of the protector.

It may be further stated with regard to the bevel on the lug 29 that this bevel when the watch is withdrawn will engage the latch 28 and hold the guard yieldingly in the position shown in Fig. 3, as the rod 27 and finger 30 press the latch against the bevel after a person releases the rod 27, thus holding the latch open, ready again to receive the watch. It will also be noted that the under side of the lug is slightly beveled and that the end of the latch is correspondingly beveled. This is designed when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 to prevent the watch from being taken from the pocket should there be a slight weight brought to bear on the upper portion of the protector 19 before the rod 27 is forced downward.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A watclrprotector comprising a casin a segmental plate mounted to swing therein, a lug extended from said plate, a locking-latch for engaging with said lug, and means for releasing the latch from the lug.

2. A watch-protector comprising a casing,

a segmental plate mounted to swing therein, a lug extended from the convex side of said plate, a swinging locking-latch for engaging with the lug, a vertically-movable rod, a finger extended from the lower end of said rod for engaging the outer side of said latch, and a finger on said rod for engaging against the inner side of said latch.

3. A watch-protector comprising a casing, a plate secured therein, guides on the plate, a segmental guard having pivotal connection with the lower guide, a lugextended from said guard into said lower guide and beveled at its upper side, a latch-plate mounted to swing on the lower end of said first-named plate and adapted to engage with the under side of said lug, a rod movable through the guides, fingers on the lower end of said rod for engaging respectively against the outer and inner sides of the latch-plate, and a spring for moving the rod upward.

4:. A watch guard comprising a casing, means for removably securing the casing in a pocket, a plate arranged in the casing, guides at the upper and lower ends of said plate, a curved guard-plate pivotally connected to the lower guide, a lug extended from said guardplate, a latch mounted to swing on the firstnamed plate and adapted "for locking engagement with said lug, a rod movable through said guides, fingers on the lower end of said rod for engaging respectively against the outer and inner sides of said latch, a spring for moving the rod upward, and means for limiting the upward movement thereof.

5. A watch-guard comprising a casing, a plate arranged therein, guides at the upper and lower ends of said plate, a segmental plate pivotally connected to the lower guide, a lug extended from said plate into said lower guide, a curved latch-plate pivoted to the lower end of the plate and adapted for locking engagement with said lug, a rod movable through said guides, fingers on the rod for engaging respectively against the outer and inner sides o1 said latch, a spring for moving the rod upward, and means t'or locking the rod from downward movement.

6. A watch-guard comprising a casing, a plate arranged therein, upper and lower guides on said plate, a segmental guard pivotally connected to the lower guide, a lug extended from said guard plate into said lower guide, a curved latch pivoted to the lower end of said plate for engaging with the lug, a rod movable through said guides, fingers on said guard for engaging respectively with the outer and inner sides of said latch, a spring for moving the rod upward, and a spring-yielding pawl pivoted to the upper end of said rod and adapted for locking engagement with the upper guide.

7. A watch-guard comprisinga casing consisting of two detachably-connected sections, an opening being provided at the bottom, and

a Watch-engaging device arranged in said casto this specification in the presence of two subing. scriblng' wltnesses.

11- 1 r'i 0' '0' 8' A WELtC qua d Comp 18 n 34 CELSID spring-pressed plns arranged on said casing, 5 and a Watch-engaging" plate mounted to 'swlng' v Witnesses:

in the casing. N. B. BALLARD,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name IRA E. Poonn. 

